MHR steam galas March & Sept 2009

I too am looking forward to this event and it is a good idea to attach goods vehicles to passenger trains, after all it was quite a common sight particularly on branch lines.

Some time ago I posted a request, on another topic, for some ideas on good photo spots on the MHR. Can anyone oblige?

MTIA, Regards

 

At what point will this timetable be let loose on the general public. After all, you don't want to have a timetable and then keep it a secret so that nobody knows what time to get there etc. Do you?

Cheers,

Paul

 

When I rang on Sunday morning, they said that they could post me a copy of the timetable.

Maybe they don't have email ... or can't update their website very quickly. ](*,)

Richard

 

Of course they have E-Mail Richard, this is not the stone age you know, and are you certain that you asked the right questions?.

i hope that you don,t abuse your new position as a Moderator , I am certain that you will not take advantage and let a little power go to your head.

Best regards
Chris Willis

 

Now, now, Chris! I just thought that they might have made the info available by now. The chap who answered the railway's main phone number on Sunday morning couldn't help with email or the website.

What with trains that don't connect with the mainline service and no timetable information, I'm beginning to wonder if they want people to come ... :-#

Anyway, will you be there on Saturday? Looking forward to seeing your 'mixed' trains.

Richard

 

Yes I will be there Richard and if you come to Mestead station and want to ask for me, you will be shown to up sidings and I will be there to meet you , I look forward to it.

"I,m beginning to wonder if people want to come" is an opinion and a privelage that Moderators do not have in public?. i was always given to understand that mods have to be inpartial??

Regards
Chris W.

 

Chris, Richard is entitled to an opinion as a potential customer of the line, as indeed anyone is. It's not acceptable for Moderators to moan about railways in a non-constructive way, however merely outlining an issue they have with something about a gala is, to my mind at least, perfectly acceptable. It was a perfectly reasonable issue to take up, all it needed was a straight answer. Granted, perhaps the wording was a little...undiplomatic, but we all know how frustrating things can be at times, and they can make us say things we later regret.

Anyway, as I'm around on Saturday with any luck down there, I too might pop along to the sidings if I may. Be good to finally put a name to a face.

Can we go back to talking about the gala rather than taking issue with one another please?

 

You,re on , both of you. Looking forward to meeting you both.

Regards
Chris

 

Seriously guys I do find it incredible that once again we are just four days before the start of a major gala and they have no timetable available. How is it that most other railways manage to produce a full working timetable serveral weeks in advance of an event and the Mid-Hants can't? They didn't even have a working timetable available on the day last Autumn and it was no use asking the staff what loco was working which train as they hadn't a clue either.

The Mid-Hants is good in many ways but seems to lack something in terms of organisation. Just look at last weekend's show on the Severn Valley to see how it's done!

Having said all that I will probably turn up and may even enjoy it! \/

 

Not at all surprised that the MHR haven't published timetables for the gala. They actively discourage the enthusiast at every opportunity.

 

Hmmm, agreed that in the past many mistakes have been made, but Rome wasn,t built in a day you know.

For the enthusiast the wagon group has made great inroads into this and there is amuch forward thinking towards creating a vintage rake of coaches for starters.

Have you thought of taking up your grievence with the Railway direct?, if they don,t know about it they cannot be given the chance to do something about it.

Best regards
Chris Willis

 

You make a fair comment Chris, after all it is another opinion.

Regards
Chris Willis.

 

I have no grievance with the railway. I am just stating that by their operating business model, advertising, and the published attitudes of their officers they seek to position themselves as a tourist attraction rather than a heritage railway. This is not meant as a criticsm, merely an observation. If there is 'forward thinking' in terms of goods vehicles and vintage stock, and this is for the benefit of the enthusiast then these moves are to be applauded - but the railway will need to reposition itself in the marketplace, or as a minimum broaden its public image.

 

Would it not be fair to say that this is exactly what it has done if, as you say, it has gone more for the tourist pound as opposed to relying on the enthusiast?

 

Indeed it would - but my point was that, if the railway is more for the tourist pound why bother with goods vehicles that joe public will have no interset in apart from the odd cosmetic restoration job parked in a siding by a station, and why not stick to the repainted Mk.2's rather than spending money assembling vintage stock?

 

I think that the answer there is that the railway is trying to be all things to all men. As a working volunteer on the MHR I need to be kept interested, Thomas certainly doesn't do it for me, but it provides a large slice of the railway's income. I don't want to open up an old argument but if we relied purely on enthusiasts we would be out of business by now. So yes, on a daily, weekly basis we are after the family that will come to the railway, have something to eat, hopefully spend £50+ with us and go away well satisfied. And then occasionally we like to have fun, and do something for the enthusiast. But the overriding thing is that we have to keep the money coming in.

 

Well, I've seen the timetable (WTT - Not availible to the public) and it's something to look forward to......

 

Well give us all a clue....

You never know it might tempt a few more people to attend...

 

Oh I don,t know, sometimes a suprise is much better.

Regards
Chris

 

Defently a couple of nice thiings to look forward to , if it works out .